Hand brake



Jan. l5, 1929.

' J. F. OCONNOR HAND BRAKE Original Filed May 20, 1925 Patented dan. 15,i929.

UNITED ,STATES JOH'N F. OGONNOR, OF -CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR vlTO.'H.

.PATENT -o-Fri inc., QF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION lOF DELAWARE.

HAND BRAKE.

Application filed May 20, 1926, Serial This invention relates lto handbrakes.

One object of the invention isato vprovide a simple and Aeflicient handbrake, wherein means are provided vfor vrapidly taking up the slack inthe brake chain, and subsequently increasing the ratio of leverage toexert `greater Vforce in the final application of the brakes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand brake of thischaracter wherein lever means are interposed in the brake riggingbetween the brake winding sta'if and the brake mechanism proper, andresiliently held against movement in an operative direction, said levermeans permitting free travel of the rigging with respect thereto, whilequiescent, during taking up .of the slack, and being `antomaticallyoperated by increase of tension in the rigging to effect swingingthereof to increase the A.power ratio during final application of thebrakes in conjunction with mechanism for arresting travel of saidrigging with respect to said lever means, which mechanism isautomatically moved to operative position or released` therefrom by saidrigging, dependent upon variations of tension therein.

Other further objects and advantages of the invention will more fullyAand clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafterfollowing.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 showsfragments of a car structure, illustrating a top plan view oftheinvention as applied thereto, with parts .of the same shownin section.And Fig. 2 is a part sectional, and part elevational view of theinvention, taken substantially on the line 2 2 of'Figzl.

In said drawing, 4f indicates a fragment of the end sill of a car, whichis provided .witha 'depending stirrup 5 in which is mounted the usualwinding staff 6, said sill l being provided with an inwardly extendingbracket 7 upon which the lever means are mounted.

The lever means comprise spaced bars 8 and 9 arranged in substantiallyparallel relation, one end portion of the bar V9 having an 'angularextension 10, a portion-of which Arests upon the upper surface of thevbracket 7, while thel bar `8 has one end arranged to rest upon ytheextension 10, afpivot pin 11l extending through the end ofthe bar'8, theextension 10, and the 9, said in being No. 110,373. Renewed April 23,v19728.

held :in position bythe usual cotter pin `12, the arrangement affordinga :fulcrnm for the lever means adjacent one `end thereof upon the carstructure. The bars Sand 9 are connected together, Aand containoperative parts hereinafter referred to, said barsbeing Vsubstantiallyo'f the same length, and the free ends thereof being conlinedto limitedswinging movement in a horizontal direction by guide means indicated at13. 'Said guide means include spaced horizontally extending guidingsurfaces 14: which confine the end of the lever means to horizontalmovement, the swinging movement of the free endfof the lever means beinglimited 'in an inward direction by a stop 15, and in an outwarddirection by a stop 16.

Adjacent the free ends of the bars '8 and 9, there is provided avcarrier 17 which is disposed between the bars 8 'and 9 and comprisesspaced elongated plates 18 and 19, which are held in spaced relation bymeans of agspacing member 20, said plates being secured together at onecorner by a rivetf2l. The spacing member V2O is disposed-adjacentanother corner of the carrier as shown, and extending through saidspacing member, the plates 1S and 19, and the ends of the bars 8 and 9,is a pivot pin 22, which pivotally connects the carrier 17`for swingingmovement with reference to the bars '8 and 9. At the free end portion ofthe carrier 17 opposite fhevpivot 22, there is mounted between theplates 18 and 19 a sheave 23, which is rotatably supported iLpon its hub24, sai-d shea'vc being provided with circumferentiallv .arrangedrecesses, indicated at 124;, for the reception of the links 'of thechain forming the brake rigging, as hereinafter referred to, said sheaveoperating .as a sprocket wheel in the device. `Ratchet wheels 25-25 areprovided at each side ofthe sheave .23, and are .fixed with respect tosaid sheave and rotate. in unison therewith.

Mechanism is provided which .normally pulls said carrier in a vdirectionawayfrom the lever means, said `mechanism including a connecting rod26which is pivotally connected to the carrier 17 Vat a point intermediate,and to one side of, the :22 and 24, as shown, said connecting rod havingat its outer end a cross lheard 27 which is Aslidably mounted upon thearm'sr28-2'8 of aydke, the freel ends `-of Athe-.alims beingfcorinectedby a plate '29- Whiehforms a. spring abutment,

the plate 29 being held upon the arms 28-28 by suitable'nuts. A coiledspring 30 is disposed about the connecting rod 26, one end of saidspring bearing against the cross head QT-and the opposite end oi thespring bearing against the plate 29. The bight 3l et the yoke isconnected to a fixed part olf the car structure, indicated at 32.

Aliixed to the lever means, adjacent the ratchet wheels 25-25 mountedupon the carrier 17, is a bracket having angular portions which areriveted to the bars 8 and 9 of the lever means, and which are connectedby a web 34, said web on its inner surface, between the bars 8 and 9,being provided with a rib 85 which acts as a :liXed pawl, adapted tocooperate with the ratchet wheels 25-25 in certain positions 'to preventcounter-clockwise rotation of the ratchet wheels Q-Q, and of the sheave23.

Rotatably mounted upon the lever means, adjacent to but spaced trom thepivot or ttulcrum ot said lever means, upon a pin 3G extending throughthe bars 8 and 9, is a Vplain sheave 37. The brake rigging indicated at3S, which is usually in the 'form ot a chain, has one end connected tothe winding G,.extends thence over the sheave 23, around the sheave 3G,and thence to the brake mechanism proper, not shown.

In the normal position et the parts, the lever means are drawn inwardlyaway rom the end sill d by the spring 30, and associated parts, and thecarrier member 17 is also drawn away from the lever means as indicatedin Fig. l, so as to free the ratchet wheels 25-25 from engagement withthe fixed pawl 35. Upon clockwise rotation of the winding statt 6, totake up the brake rigging 38, said rigging travels freely over thesheaves 3T and 23, due to the tact that the vtension in the rigging isrelatively small and not sutlicient to overcome the strength of thespring which maintains the lever in its tully released position. Uponincreasa-id resistance being developed in the brake rigging, due to thebrake shoes coming into contact with the wheels, the torce exerted bythe spring 30 will be overcome, causing the rtree end oil the carrier 17to move inwardlyY toward the lever, until the ratchet wheels Q5 comeinto engagement Awith the tired pawl 35, thereby preventingcounter-clockwise movement of the sheave 23, after which the rigging istaken up to effect tull application 'of the brakes through swingingmovement ot' the lever means along the arc described by the sheave 37,as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, resulting in a great increase inpower. TWhen the brake stad 6 is released, the action of the spring 30is such as to re- Vtract the lever and carrier to fully releasedposition, disconnecting the ratchet wheels 25-25 from the holding pawl35, resulting in full unwinding oftheA brake rigging trom the stad G andconsequent full release of the brake shoes.

lilliile I have herein shown and described what l now consider thepreferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is merelyillustrative, and I contemplate all Achanges and modifications that comewithin the scope ot' the claims appended hereto.

l claim:

i.. ln a hand brake, the combination with winding means and the brakemechanism proper; of lever means interposed between said winding meansand said brake mechanism proper, said lever means being arranged toswing about one end portion thereof as a tulcrum and being provided withspaced guides thereon, o ue of the same being arranged adjacent thefulcrum point of said lever means, and the other connected adjacent thefree end portion of said lever means, said second guide being bodilymovable with reference to said lever means; and rigging extending fromsaid brake mechanism proper to the guide means adjacent said fulcrum,and over the guide means adjacent the tree end ot said lever means andthence to said winding means, said rigging being arranged to normallytravel freely with respect to said guide means while said lever meansare quiescent to take up 'the slack, and thereafter cooperating withsaid lever means to automatically effect swinging ot the same toincrease the power ratio; and resilient means connected to said secondguide means and to a fixed point for urging said secondguide and levermeans toward released position.-

2. In a hand brake, the combination with winding means and the brakemechanism proper; oi lever means interposed between said winding meansand said brake mechanism proper, said lever means being arranged toswing about one end portion thereof as a fulcrum and normally urged toreleased position, said lever means being provided with spa-ced guidesthereon, one of the same being arranged adjacent the fulcruni point oi'said lever means, and the other adjacent the freeV end portion of saidlever means; rigging extendingrom said brake mechanism proper to theguide means adjacent, said fulcrunn and over the guide means adjacentthe tree end of said lever means and thence to said winding means,

'said rigging being arranged to normally travel freely with respect tosaid guide means to take up the slack while said lever means arequiescent and effect swinging movement Aot said lever means when thetension in said rigging increases and means for arresting travel of saidrigging with reference to said lever means upon swinging movement ot thelatter, said arresting means being automatically controllable bymovements of said rigging.

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3. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with a winding staff andbrake mechanism proper; of lever means interposed between said stail:land said mechanism and adapted to swing about one end portion thereof asa 'ulcrum; a carrier pivotallv mounted on said lever means adjacent thefree end portion thereof, said carrier being provided with guide meansthereon; guide means adjacent the tulcrum point of said lever means;means co-acting with said carrier to normallj,Y urge said carrier awayfrom said lever means; rigging extending from said brake mechanismproper over the guide means adjacent the fulcruin point of said lever7thence over the guide means on said carrier to said brake winding means;

and means i'or arresting and permitting movement ot said rigging oversaid guide means dependent upon variations of resistance in saidrigging.

Li. In a hand brake, the combination with a winding stati' and brakemechanism proper; ot' lever means interposed between said stati' andsaid mechanism and adapted to swing about one end portion thereof as atulcrum; a rotatable sheave mounted on said lever means adjacent thefulcrum thereof; a carrier piv-otally mounted on said lever meansadjacent the free end portion thereof, said carrier being provided witha. rotatable sheave, ratchet members on said lever means and said lastmentioned sheave adapted to co-act in certain positions to arrestrotation of said sheave; resilient means connectedto said carrier andnormally maintaining said ratchet means and said lever in fully releasedposition; and brake rigging extending over the sheave on said levermeans, thence under the sheave on said carrier to said winding means.

5. In a hand brake, the combination with a winding statt and brakemechanism proper; of lever means interposed between said staff and saidmechanism and adapted to swing about one end portion thereof as afulcrum; a rotatable sheave mounted on said lever means adjacent thefulcrum thereof; a carrier pivotally mounted on said lever meansadjacent the free end portion thereof7 said carrier being provided witha rotatable sheave: ratchet members on said lever means and said lastmentioned sheave adapted to eosact in certain positions to arrestrotation of said sheave; resilient means connected to said carrier andnormally maintainingl said ratchet means and said lever in fullyreleased position; brake rigging extending over the sheave on said levermeans, thence under the sheave on said carrier to said winding means;and means for guiding the free end of said lever means withinpredetermined limits.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 17th day of May; 1926.

JOHN F. OCONNOR.

